This is a group of Peterbilt 379 tractors and Talbert lowboy trailers which represent the equipment transport fleet of what was at one time the Komatsu Equipment Distributor in California and Nevada - Shanahan Equipment Company. These tractors are moving a new Komatsu 575 Super Dozer to a mine site. The loads are broken out according to the official Komatsu Field Assembly Manual for the Komatsu D575A-3 Dozer. The largest load being the bare machine with a tare weight of 48 tons. All of the loads are highway legal with permits, utilizing 4 axle tractors along with both 3 axle or 4 axle Talbert lowboy trailers. The bare machine is moved on a Cozad 85 Ton Steerable Trailer 3+3+3. The gross combination weight is right at 100 Tons, or 200,000 lbs. The axle loading is well within legal limits, putting 12,000 lbs on the steering axle, and between 16,000 and 18,000 lbs on the remaining 12 axles. The escort fleet consists of Ford F-350 and Ford F-450 Super Duty Club Cab pickup trucks and International 4900 crew cab trucks with knuckle and boom cranes.

The 1:87th scale models used are brass Classic Mint Collectibles Peterbilt tractors and Talbert trailers. Both the disassembled dozer and assembled and weathered Komatsu 575 Super Dozers are Classic Mint Collectibles brass models. The support vehicles are River Point Station Ford F-350 and F-450 Super Duty pickup trucks and kit bashed Boley International 4900s. The Cozad 9 axle trailer with 3 axle jeep and 3 axle rear steering dolly are kitbashed from Herpa heavy equipment lowboy trailers and include Lonestar Models wood decking, Plano detail parts and Zycon decals. The truck mounted cranes are from Kibri with Details West beacons and license plates from Howards Hobby.

Also, the beautifully weathered Classic Mint Collectibles Komatsu 575 Super Dozer is the work of Dan Goins, owner of Zycon Models.

Posted December 17, 2011